Saint John's Co-Cathedral
| St John's Co-cathedral | |
|---|---|
| Kon-Katidral ta' San Ġwann | |
St. John's Co-cathedral in 2018
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| 35°53′52″N 14°30′46″E / 35.89778°N 14.51278°ECoordinates: 35°53′52″N 14°30′46″E / 35.89778°N 14.51278°E | |
| Location | Valletta |
| Country | Malta |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | www.stjohnscocathedral.com |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | Conventual Church of St. John The Major Conventual and Parochial Church of the Jerosolymitan Order dedicated to St John the Baptist |
| Founder(s) | Jean de la Cassière |
| Dedication | John the Baptist |
| Architecture | |
| Status | Co-cathedral |
| Architect(s) | Girolamo Cassar |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style |
Mannerist (exterior) Baroque (interior) |
| Groundbreaking | 1572 |
| Completed | 1577 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 65 metres (213 ft) |
| Width | 40 metres (130 ft) |
| Nave width | 20 metres (66 ft) |
| Materials | Limestone |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | Archdiocese of Malta |
| Clergy | |
| Archbishop | Charles Scicluna |
| Rector | Victor Zammit McKeon |
| Laity | |
| Organist/Director of music | Hamish Dustagheer (Maestro di Cappella) |
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St John's Co-Cathedral (Maltese: Kon-Katidral ta' San Ġwann) is a Roman Catholic co-cathedral in Valletta, Malta, dedicated to Saint John the Baptist. It was built by the Order of St. John between 1572 and 1577, having been commissioned by Grand Master Jean de la Cassière as the Conventual Church of Saint John (Maltese: Knisja Konventwali ta' San Ġwann).
The church was designed by the Maltese architect Girolamo Cassar, who designed several of the more prominent buildings in Valletta. In the 17th century, its interior was redecorated in the Baroque style by Mattia Preti and other artists. The interior of the church is considered to be one of the finest examples of high Baroque architecture in Europe.
St. John's Co-Cathedral was commissioned in 1572 by Jean de la Cassière, Grand Master of the Order of St. John. It was initially named, in the Italian common language of the time, as Chiesa Conventuale di San Giovanni Battista. The church was designed by the Maltese architect Girolamo Cassar, who was also responsible for the construction of many important buildings in Valletta. It is held that Cassar went to Rhodes to bring a plan of an already existing church with the exact role of St. John's, that was by then converted to a Mosque, to use it as a model for the present Con-Cathedral. However Cassar still took decisions over the final design and made modifications, and thus being the sole architect of the Con-Cathedral. Once St. John's was completed in 1577, it became the new conventual church of the Order instead of St. Lawrence's Church in the Order's former headquarters Birgu. Construction of the oratory and sacristy began in 1598, during the magistracy of Martin Garzez, and they were completed by Grand Master Alof de Wignacourt in 1604.
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